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A tornado struck near what normally would've been a busy mall. It was closed due to coronavirus

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Updated: 6:26 AM CDT Mar 30, 2020

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it is warm or one more of these things could have been a whole lot worse. That's the message from those we spoke to in Jonesboro, Arkansas, a day after the tornado. God works in mysterious ways. Joel Campbell is a car salesman at Fletcher Dodge near Turtle Creek Mall. He was working Saturday, but most of the stores and the mall itself were closed due to Corona virus concerns. All those people that would have been in the storm's path were instead at home hunkered down. Campbell took this video after the storm passed. Look at this. Look at this. Never would have thought in a 1,000,000 years that Jonesborough Ware get disasters or anything in that nature never would have thought in a 1,000,000 years that we were gonna get hit with a turnout of doing this cove in 19. I don't think anyone thought that, but the fact that he was gonna do this over 19 it's a good thing I told everybody, I'll get in the shower. You're getting showing everybody winning the bathroom tiles. Then I went back outside to see what was going on because I've been in quarantine. I ain't had nothing so I went back outside and seeing what was going on, and I've seen it coming around this way, so I just went back in the house and close the door and everything just started shaking. Cordero Riley says. Right now he's wondering what else could happen because I stayed right here behind them out and I know every day tomorrow the bank will be a lot of people go to the mile every day, and I noticed yesterday it wasn't a meeting. People really there because of Corona virus and they've been here but in house. So I think it really did say a lot of people asked Campbell if he worries the number of Corona virus cases could increase because many people will now be forced to leave their homes as they make repairs. I think that that sword and just just cleared that out. To be honest, I think I have the utmost faith in my God and things like that. I think that Cove in 19 just just wiped everything out and we're going to look past that and come together as a community just to help everyone out in Jonesboro, Arkansas, winning right Fox 13 News

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A tornado struck near what normally would've been a busy mall. It was closed due to coronavirus

A tornado ripped through Jonesboro, Arkansas, injuring 22 people and leaving a trail of flattened homes and buildings.Mayor Harold Perrin and other local officials said there were no deaths after the tornado touched down on Saturday in the city, about 130 miles northeast of Little Rock.Of the 22 injured people, two stayed in the hospital overnight but did not have life-threatening injuries, officials said.Some residents are convinced that many more people could've been injured if not for people staying at home to slow the spread of coronavirus.Joel Campbell works as a car salesman near Turtle Creek Mall, where severe storms upturned cars and caused extensive damage.The mall has been closed because of coronavirus."God works in mysterious ways," Campbell said."I never would have thought in a million years we would get hit with this tornado during COVID-19," he said. "I don't think anyone thought that. But the fact that we were going through this COVID-19, is a good thing."Images posted on social media, including from the Jonesboro Police Department, showed broken walls, flattened commercial buildings and debris scattered across parking lots.One picture showed a mangled vehicle in the mall parking lot. At the local airport, at least one airplane was overturned and hangars were damaged.The search and rescue efforts were completed by Sunday morning, and responders are moving into the cleanup and recovery phases, Craighead County Judge Marvin Day said.The storm moved across Jonesboro around 5 p.m. local time Saturday, according to a video posted by the National Weather Service in Little Rock.Day said there is a curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., and Jonesboro Police Chief Rick Elliott urged residents to stay home while debris is cleared out of roadways and other common areas."We've already asked you to stay at home for this virus but we're really stressing to stay at home," Elliott said.Meanwhile Dr. Jared Burks, who has self quarantined from his wife and young son amid the coronavirus outbreak, are among people who lost their homes on Saturday.A photo of Burks and his 1-year-old son, Zeke, touching hands through a glass door, garnered national social media attention.Watch the video above to learn more about this story.

JONESBORO, Ark. (Video from WHBQ via CNN) —

A tornado ripped through Jonesboro, Arkansas, injuring 22 people and leaving a trail of flattened homes and buildings.

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Mayor Harold Perrin and other local officials said there were no deaths after the tornado touched down on Saturday in the city, about 130 miles northeast of Little Rock.

Of the 22 injured people, two stayed in the hospital overnight but did not have life-threatening injuries, officials said.

Some residents are convinced that many more people could've been injured if not for people staying at home to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Joel Campbell works as a car salesman near Turtle Creek Mall, where severe storms upturned cars and caused extensive damage.

The mall has been closed because of coronavirus.

"God works in mysterious ways," Campbell said.

"I never would have thought in a million years we would get hit with this tornado during COVID-19," he said. "I don't think anyone thought that. But the fact that we were going through this COVID-19, is a good thing."